Have you ever wondered if a $300 gutter guard kit from Costco could actually save you thousands in gutter cleaning costs or water damage repairs? Or maybe you’ve tried a DIY guard in the past and are now questioning whether it made things worse?
In Seattle, where constant rain and relentless pine needles are a fact of life, many homeowners worry about whether DIY gutter guards are actually up to the task.
At RoofSmart, we’ve inspected thousands of roofs with DIY gutter guards. During inspections and while working on these roofs, we have seen all kinds of damage caused by a variety of different styles and brands of DIY gutter guards.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the real pros and cons of DIY gutter guards specifically for Seattle’s unique climate and help you figure out if they’re a smart investment or a potential mistake.
Do DIY gutter guards really keep debris out of my gutter?
The bottom line is that no matter what brand or style you get, your DIY gutter guards are going to plug eventually. They’re also going to let debris in, but they’ll do a decent job of letting in less debris than an open gutter would.
Too much debris getting into your gutter, combined with dirt and moisture, can create a gross muck that builds up in your gutter:
Screen and micromesh gutter guards do a better job of keeping debris out of the roof, but they are harder to install. Brush and foam gutter guards are easier to install, but they don’t work as well (in other words, there will still be plenty of debris in your gutter).
The big issue in the Seattle area is that there are a lot of pine trees that shed their needles everywhere. Pine and fir needles get through a lot of gutter guard styles, and are a pain to clean out of the gutter or off of the gutter guard.
With DIY gutter guards, it’s a matter of reducing the amount of debris that gets into your gutters. If you've got mostly leaves, and you don't mind taking the chance, then we encourage you to give it a shot.
Can DIY gutter guards damage my Seattle home?
The biggest problem that DIY gutter guards face is clogging with debris. If you live in the Seattle area, your property is very likely to have trees. This means that leaves, pine needles, pine cones, and other debris will fall onto your roof and eventually pile up on top of your gutters, like this:
A lot of these DIY gutter guards will trap debris against the roof edge and direct water back up under the roof or onto the fascia, which causes the wooden roof decking to rot. The worst part is that you can’t really see the rot happening, so it can spread and worsen for a long time before you notice.
So, if you have an asphalt roof, it's probably a bad idea to get DIY gutter guards. Ironically, most of them are made for an asphalt roof, but they trap debris right up at the shingle edge, and it diverts it back up underneath the OSB or plywood.
Not only does this cause the roof decking to rot, but it can also cause the asphalt shingles to deteriorate.
Other types of roofing materials (like metal, EuroShield, and tile) won’t be susceptible to deterioration, but the roof decking will still be at risk of rotting. The only exception to this is a metal roof, because the metal usually wraps around the edge of the roof and protects it.
The goal with DIY gutter guards is to clean your gutters a little bit less, but you run the risk of needing a new roof. And keep in mind that when you redo the roof, you have to throw the gutter guard away.
When do DIY gutter guards work best on my Seattle roof?
There are a few scenarios where DIY gutter guards work better than they would on other roofs. These are the ideal conditions for having DIY gutter guards that are more likely to work well:
- You don't have very much debris: The biggest problem with DIY gutter guards is that they collect a ton of debris with no way of shedding it, which then causes clogs and roof damage. But if you don’t have trees in your yard, then there will be little to no debris on your roof, which will help your gutter guards work better
- You have a hip roof: A hip roof can be beneficial for DIY gutter guards because there is a downward slope on all sides of the roof. This helps water and debris flow downward and distribute across the gutter system.
- You have no valleys (or only a few): Valleys are a prime location for clogging because all of the debris piles into it and then collects at the bottom of the valley, where it meets the gutter guard.
- Your house is one story: Having multiple roof levels creates a tricky situation with the flow of water and debris in gutters. The upper gutter can clog and overflow, shooting water onto the roof below. A one-story roof is much easier to manage (and makes installation much easier).
If your roof meets one or more of these conditions, then DIY gutter guards might work better on your roof (but keep in mind that there’s no perfect solution, and you’ll still have to do maintenance).
Why do so many gutter guards fail on Seattle homes?
Even though DIY gutter guards can seem like a quick, affordable fix, Seattle’s constant rain, moss, and pine needles make it one of the toughest climates for them to actually work as intended. The reality is that even the best DIY systems can clog, trap moisture, and cause hidden roof damage over time, especially on homes surrounded by trees.
If you’ve already installed DIY gutter guards (or are thinking about it), it’s important to understand why so many gutter guard systems struggle in Seattle’s weather and what you can do to prevent those same issues on your own roof.
Before you invest any more time or money, check out our article “Why Do Most Gutter Guards Fail in Seattle (and What Actually Works)?” to learn what really causes gutter guards to fail and how to choose one that will actually last.
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